Engineering Excellence Awards

In February, the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) unveiled the 2018 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards. Of the recipients, three Orange County-area firms were recognized with Honor Awards and five Orange County firms were recognized with Merit Awards.

In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms. The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, was announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018. The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners that were eligible entered the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and had their photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.

Honor Awards recipients from the Orange County area include:

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. in Brea, CA, for its work on the Big Canyon Restoration and Water Quality Improvement Project in Newport Beach, CA. The project included a comprehensive program to restore the Big Canyon Creek to its native condition and improve the quality of water it carried to an environmentally sensitive coastal region. Because the green solution was implemented at a significantly lower cost than other treatment approaches, the City of Newport Beach was able to use remaining funds to restore six acres of eroded land to natural conditions, which also contributed to improved water quality.

Michael Baker International in Santa Ana, CA, for its work on the I-5/La Novia Roundabout in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The project consisted of a modern roundabout intersection design that replaced an awkward, offset, stop-sign controlled intersection which was regularly congested and created confusion among commuters, leading to increased traffic incidents. The new four-legged roundabout was designed to fit the existing topography, improve the flow of traffic, and enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety.

Inland Foundation Engineering, Inc. in San Jacinto, CA, for its work on Hemet Elementary School Campus Replacement in Hemet, CA. Constructed in 1927, Hemet Elementary School was closed in 2009 and demolished in 2015 as a result of continued long-term settlement and structural damage. Because of the proximity of a highly active earthquake fault zone less than one mile from the site, the project included an innovative solution to create an improved building foundation that would reduce potential seismic settlement.

Merit Awards recipients from the Orange County area include:

Arcadis US Inc. in Irvine, CA, for its work on the Port of Los Angeles Berths 142-143 Backland Improvement Phases 2-4 in Wilmington, CA. This renewed port project is a component of the phased development of the Trans Pacific Container Services, Corp Container Terminal Improvement program, part of $1 billion worth of capital improvements planned over the next several years.

Huitt-Zollars, Inc. in Irvine, CA, for its work on the La Pata Avenue/Camino Del Rio Extensions in unincorporated Orange County, San Juan Capistrano & San Clemente, CA. The La Pata Extension is the single-largest, in both scope and cost, Orange County Public Works horizontal infrastructure project constructed by the agency. The County roadway extension benefits thousands of drivers daily and significantly increases regional mobility in south Orange County by providing an alternative to the heavily-used Interstate 5 freeway.

Kimley-Horn in Orange, CA, for its work on Sunray Solar in San Bernardino County, CA. The Sunray Solar project is home to the world’s first commercial concentrated solar power plant. The project encompassed the expansion of a new plant, replacing the old concentrated solar technologies with the latest photovoltaic technologies, which will provide electricity for approximately 40,000 households per year.

KOA Corporation in Orange, CA, for its work on the Town of Apple Valley Safe Routes to School Master Plan in Apple Valley, CA. The Master Plan provides implementation strategies for safe routes to school, removing barriers to active transportation, and addressing actual and perceived safety concerns. The Master Plan also focuses specifically on expanding active transportation access within and between neighborhoods and to employment centers, shopping areas, schools, and recreational sites. This report is designed for use by public officials at the county, town and school district levels.

TranSystems in Santa Ana, CA, for its work on the Laurel Street Grade Separation in Colton, CA. TranSystems was selected by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority as the lead designer and construction management firm for the project. The project consisted of safely separating pedestrians, bicycles, vehicle traffic and emergency responders from train traffic through the creation of an undercrossing. The primary benefits of the project include enhanced safety, more efficient goods movement, and vehicle emissions reduction due to improved local traffic circulation.

In February, the American Council of Engineering Companies, California announced its prestigious 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards. Of the 39 firms recognized for their outstanding work, four firms from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties earned Honor Awards and two local firms and four local Sacramento-area projects were recognized with Merit Awards.

“The heart of civil engineering is to solve complex challenges to help make people’s lives better,” said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California when the EEA awards were announced. “This year, we are recognizing a wide range of innovative projects that include improving transportation and roadways, giving students a high-quality school campus, or providing better access to clean water. I’m very proud of our engineering and land surveying firms and their local agency partners and private sector partners, who keep pushing the envelope to find smarter, more advanced ways to serve the people of California.”

In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms. The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, was announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018. The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners that were eligible entered the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and had their photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.

Honor Awards recipients from Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties include:

Carollo Engineers, Inc. in Sacramento, CA, for its work on the Sacramento River and E.A. Fairbairn Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitation in Sacramento, CA. Carollo Engineers, Inc. worked closely with the City of Sacramento to plan, design, and assist during construction of major facility upgrades to the City’s two surface water treatment plants that, together, supply the City’s residents with up to 360 million gallons per day of potable water.

Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc. in Stockton CA, for its work on the Mule Creek State Prison Level II Infill Complex in Ione, CA. The project is a $373 million design-build project covering approximately 90 acres adjacent to the existing high security Mule Creek State Prison. The scope of the project included 544,000 square feet of new construction in 23 individual buildings.

Omni-Means, a GHD Company, in Roseville, CA, for its work on the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout in Monterey, CA. For this project, the designers supplied a roundabout solution that lowered costs and eased traffic congestion. The roundabout solution addressed all of the unique characteristics of the area while relieving congestion, improving emergency response times, and creating a sustainable gateway to the Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach Community.

Riverview Capital Investments + The New Home Company + Wood Rodgers, Inc. in Sacramento, CA, for their work on McKinley Village in Sacramento, CA. McKinley Village is a 49-acre infill development located within the urban core of the City of Sacramento providing housing close to existing jobs; thereby, the project reduces commute times, vehicle miles traveled, and greenhouse gas emissions. The project includes 336 residential units – including 24 condominium units, four different lot sizes from 2,600 to 4,750 square feet, a community recreation center, five park sites, five pocket parks, and a community garden. Infrastructure design included (but not limited to): a railroad undercrossing, widening the existing 1954 bridge overcrossing of Business – 80 Freeway, and a new roadway across a closed landfill site.

Merit Awards recipients from the Sacramento County area include:

Blackburn Consulting in Auburn, CA, for its work on the Cosumnes River Boulevard Extension and I-5 Interchange in Sacramento, CA. This project was the City of Sacramento’s largest transportation project in 25 years. It includes a 3.2-mile roadway extension, a new interchange and overcrossing bridge at Interstate 5, and a second bridge spanning Morrison Creek and railroad tracks. Blackburn Consulting provided geotechnical consulting services during this multi-year design project.

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants in San Francisco, CA, for its work on the EchoWater Site Preparation Project in Elk Grove, CA. The EchoWater Site Preparation (Site Prep) project is a linchpin to the over-arching $2 billion EchoWater Upgrade and Expansion Project of the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The scope of work for the Site Prep project included installation of roadways and high security gates, stormwater infrastructure, two contractor logistics complexes, overhead power, a weather station, a communications tower, and a new groundwater well. Also included is an array of new site infrastructure including water, sewer, recycled water, 12kV and 480V electrical, fiber optic communications, wastewater process fluids, and several new facility buildings.

Parsons in Pasadena, CA, for its work on the McKinley Village Way Underpass in Sacramento, CA. The project includes a new Union Pacific Railroad bridge over the underpass, which connects the historic East Sacramento neighborhood to McKinley Village, a new urban residential community in the heart of the Sacramento region. With allowance for future tracks, the bridge has room to carry the Capitol Corridor’s planned Third Track project to expand commuter rail service between Sacramento and Roseville.

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants in Rancho Cordova, CA, for its work on the American River Pipeline Conveyance Project in Carmichael, CA. Conceived in 2011, the American River Pipeline Conveyance Project (Project) puts into action Integrated Regional Water Management agreements and resolutions that successfully solve water supply reliability issues at a local level. The Project was developed to provide a replacement water supply for Golden State Water Company’s (GSWC) customers in Gold River and parts of the City of Rancho Cordova where supplies were lost due to groundwater contamination. Specifically, the project provides clean water for a population of approximately 44,500 persons in the GSWC service area, which includes a significant number of very low-income households.

In February, the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) unveiled the 2018 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards. Among the recipients, five Los Angeles County projects and three Los Angeles – area firms earned Honor Awards; and four Los Angeles County firms earned Merit Awards for their exceptional work on local projects.

“The heart of civil engineering is to solve complex challenges to help make people’s lives better,” said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California. “This year, we are recognizing a wide range of innovative projects that include improving transportation and roadways, giving students a high-quality school campus, or providing better access to clean water. I’m very proud of our engineering and land surveying firms and their local agency partners and private sector partners, who keep pushing the envelope to find smarter, more advanced ways to serve the people of California.”

In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms. The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, was announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018. The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners that were eligible entered the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and had their photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.

Honor Awards recipients from the Los Angeles area include:

Arup of Los Angeles, CA, for its work on the Seaside Way Pedestrian Bridge in Long Beach, CA. The new 11,600 square foot, $8.6 million bridge is the first landmark bridge structure undertaken by the City of Long Beach. The bridge provides an outdoor space for the community with a sustainable garden design featuring low water usage and energy efficient LED lighting that blankets the bridge canopy.

HDR | Maintenance Design Group (MDG) in Pasadena, CA, for its work on the Division 14 Rail Operations and Maintenance Facility in Santa Monica, CA. The project included the design and completion of the $98 million, 45-rail car Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) maintenance facility. Faced with a tight 9.7-acre site and keen community interest, the HDR team designed a facility that not only delivers the functional and operational requirements LA Metro needs, but also a facility the community embraces as a good neighbor.

Psomas in Los Angeles, CA, for its work on the Berth 142 Crane Maintenance Building in Wilmington, CA. The project consisted of designing a Crane Maintenance Building at Berths 136 – 147 in the Port of Los Angeles to support the repair of automated machines used to transport cargo shipping containers. The design team combined innovative design and technological innovation with practical site planning and construction solutions to create a durable, energy-efficient, one-of-a-kind maintenance building for this specialty equipment

Syska Hennessy Group, Inc. in Culver City, CA, for its work on the General Services Administration, New Los Angeles Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles, CA. Syska Hennessy Group provided critical systems engineering consulting and design services for the new courthouse, a project that was over four years in the making. The 12-story, 631,000 square foot facility, known as the “Cube” because of its unique shape, features 24 courtrooms and 32 judicial chambers and is being widely recognized for its groundbreaking energy-efficient design.

T.Y. Lin International in San Diego, CA for its work on the California Incline Bridge and Idaho Avenue Pedestrian Overcrossing (POC) Replacements in Santa Monica, CA. A 750-foot-long post-tensioned concrete slab bridge, the California Incline Bridge begins atop the bluff slopes of Pacific Palisades Park and carries vehicular traffic, pedestrians, and bicyclists down to the Pacific Coast Highway at the base of the bluffs near Santa Monica State Beach. The Idaho Avenue POC replaces the former California Incline POC constructed in 1957. An aesthetic, curving structure with signature V-shaped pier, the replacement POC emerges seamlessly from the historic Idaho Trail and spirals down to connect to the new multiuse bicycle/pedestrian path constructed for the California Incline Bridge project.

Merit Awards recipients from the Los Angeles area include:

AECOM in Los Angeles, CA, for its work on the Empire Ave. and Buena Vista St. Grade Separations in Burbank, CA. The project provides safety enhancements and mobility improvements for the region and supports the Interstate 5 (I-5) Corridor Widening project. The Empire Project includes two rail grade separations and an access connection to improvements on I-5 from Empire Avenue. The additional access point to the freeway provides increased mobility to the Burbank Airport and to the local Empire Center shopping center.

Psomas in Los Angeles, CA, for its work on the Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit & Middle Lanes in Los Angeles, CA. The project is extremely valuable to the community since Wilshire Boulevard is the most heavily traveled bus rapid transit corridor in California, with over 80,000 bus passenger boardings each day. The overall improvements increase bus ride quality, schedule and service reliability, and overall travel times, as well as encourage a shift from automobile use to public transit.

Shannon & Wilson, Inc. in Glendale, CA, and Psomas in Los Angeles, CA, for their work on the Area 51 Sound Stage Complex at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. The Area 51 Sound Stage complex is the first new ground-up sound stage facility built in over 40 years on the studio property. The complex consists of twin 18,000 square foot sound stage buildings, approximately 53 feet in height. Adjoining the stage buildings is a three-story 23,370 square foot production office building. The project is located on a crowded site in a fully operating movie studio, and the Universal Studios Theme Park tour passes along two sides of the project.

WSP in Los Angeles, CA, for their work on the LA Metro Countywide ExpressLanes Strategic Plan. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) commissioned WSP for the project that establishes an implementation process for a system of express lanes throughout Los Angeles County. Based upon the recommendations of the Strategic Plan, which prioritizes future implementation and deployment of new express lane corridors, Metro is now poised to deliver a network of tolled express lanes for Los Angeles County to provide flexibility and choices for drivers and maximize regional benefits including improved air quality. Specifically, the Plan lays out a roadmap for building a seamless network of express lanes, and a transition plan raising the toll exemption policy from HOV2+ to HOV3+ minimum occupancy requirement.

In February, the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) unveiled the 2018 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards. Among the recipients, four firms in San Diego County were recognized with Merit awards for their work on six local projects including: the Village Park Recycled Water Project in Encinitas; the Downtown Rapid Stations project in San Diego; the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement in Lakeside; the Armorlite Drive Smart Growth Improvement Project in San Marcos; the Paradise Creek Restoration project in National City; and the Emergency Wharf Repair at North Embarcadero in San Diego.

In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms. The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, was announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018. The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners that were eligible entered the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and had their photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.

Merit Awards recipients from San Diego County include:

Infrastructure Engineering Corporation in Poway, CA, for its work on the Village Park Recycled Water Project in Encinitas, CA. The Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s new Village Park Recycled Water System expands the District’s delivery of recycled water up to 114 million gallons annually for irrigation rather than utilizing expensive, imported potable water. Up and running in the City of Encinitas since November 2016, the project was implemented in close collaboration with the neighboring San Elijo Joint Powers Authority by utilizing excess recycled water produced by their treatment plant and previously sent to an ocean outfall to be repurposed for irrigation.

Kimley-Horn in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Paradise Creek Restoration in National City, CA, and the Downtown Rapid Stations project in San Diego, CA. The Downtown Rapid Stations Project allowed the San Diego Association of Governments and the Metropolitan Transit System to expand Rapid service to 11 stations in downtown San Diego. Overall, the project provides high frequency, limited-stop service, upgraded station amenities such as new bus shelters and ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, widened sidewalks, and high visibility pedestrian crossings.

Paradise Creek Restoration serves as a model improvement project for the region and the state by both enhancing the water quality infrastructure and revitalizing a hub of community activity. This project utilized Proposition 84 Stormwater Grant funds to retrofit a highly-urbanized area with low-impact designmeasures and restore an adjacent concrete-lined segment of severely degraded Paradise Creek. The project’s innovative and green elements, such as bioretention and infiltration basins, increase the standard of life for the local plant and wildlife communities.

Michael Baker International in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement in Lakside, CA, and the Armorlite Drive Smart Growth Improvement Project in San Marcos, CA. For the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement project, Michael Baker International partnered with County of San Diego Flood Control to design a storm drain system that could adequately convey the expected volumes and mitigate the risk of water damage from flooding from a severe 100-year storm event.

Moffatt & Nichol in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Emergency Wharf Repair at North Embarcaderoin San Diego, CA. After a vessel collision caused considerable damage, Moffatt & Nichol were selected as the prime design consultant to repair the broken bulkhead at the Port of San Diego – one of the most frequented areas on San Diego Bay’s waterfront.

In February, the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) unveiled the 2018 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards. Among the recipients, the offices of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group in Bakersfield and Fresno, were recognized for their work on the Lerdo Campus Water & Wastewater Improvements in Kern County and on the Gary R. Serrato Intertie Facility in Fresno County.

In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms. The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, was announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018. The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners that were eligible entered the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and had their photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.

The Merit Award recipients from the Central Valley include:

Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group in Bakersfield, CA, for its work on the Lerdo Campus Water & Wastewater Improvements in Kern County, CA. The project upgraded and improved the water and sewer infrastructure to accommodate the expansion of the jail and detention facilities in rural Kern County, located north of Bakersfield, that will house over 3,400 inmates.

Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group in Fresno, CA, for its work on the Gary R. Serrato Intertie Facility in Fresno County, CA. The project connects the Gould Canal to the Friant-Kern Canal, increases water supply reliability, enhances operational flexibility, and reduces system constraints by providing a mechanism for water transfer between the Kings River and FKC systems. The project also established a mechanism for drought and dry year supply capacity that addressed critical water supply needs of disadvantaged communities along the Friant system.

Today the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) unveiled the 2017 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards. In all, 21 California firms representing 38 projects were named winners. 18 Honor Awards were granted to 12 firms and 20 Merit Awards were granted to 11 firms. An awards dinner, which is a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, will be held in San Francisco, February 2, 2017, and Honor Award winning projects will have photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2017.

“Engineering and land surveying firms excel at serving California communities through extraordinary and innovative design in order to solve real-world problems,” said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California. “This year’s award winners were no exception – from providing critical clean water infrastructure to more efficient transportation improvement projects and world-class facilities – ACEC members are moving California forward.”

The winner of the Golden State award, signifying the best overall project, will be announced at the awards dinner in February. Honor Award winners also are eligible to enter the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition. Last year’s Golden State Award, the Air Traffic Control Tower & Integrated Facility by Walter P Moore, also garnered the top national honor, the ACEC 2016 Grand Conceptor Award. Photographs of award winning projects can be found here.

Honor Awards were granted to the following firms:

AECOM of Orange, CA, in association with Henderson Engineering, Inc., Kansas City, MO, for its work on the Golden One Center, home arena of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Sacramento Kings, in Sacramento, CA.

Arcadis U.S., Inc. of Carlsbad, CA for its work on the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Carlsbad, CA.

Arcadis U.S., Inc. of Los Angeles, CA for its work on the Port of Long Beach, Middle Harbor Redevelopment Program, Phase 1 in Long Beach, CA.